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Author: Claire Menard

Jesup Hall’s The  Buzzed  Bee

by Claire Menard

Branden Hahn, General Manager at Chef Bill Taibe’s popular downtown Westport eatery, Jesup Hall, offers this modern take on the classic Prohibition era cocktail called “The Bee’s Knees” (find the original here). Hahn’s spicy, sophisticated version of the drink uses vodka instead of gin and offers a kick with ginger syrup sweetened with demerara sugar, a unique, partially-refined large grained brown sugar grade originally milled in South America. 

Ingredients

For the Honey Syrup: 

  • ½ cup honey 
  • ½ cup water 

For the Spicy Ginger Syrup: 

  • 4 ounces ginger, chopped 
  • 1 cup water 
  • 1 cup demerara sugar 

For the Cocktail 

  • 2 oz. (¼ cup) Vodka 
  • .5 oz (2 teaspoons) Honey Syrup 
  • .5 (2 teaspoons) Spicy Ginger Syrup 
  • .5 (2 teaspoons)fresh lemon juice 
  • Club Soda as needed 
  • 1 lemon for twist to garnish (Optional)

Directions

  1. Make the Honey Simple Syrup: Combine the honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by half—about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and store in a sealable glass bottle. 
  1. Make the Spicy Ginger Syrup: Combine ginger and water in a blender or food processor and process to a smooth liquid. Strain the liquid into another bowl or a glass jar. Mix the ginger mixture and demerara sugar together in  a small saucepan and place over medium low heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer until all the sugar is dissolved and remove from heat. Store in a sealable glass bottle. 
  1. Make the Cocktail: Combine all the cocktail ingredients except the club soda in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain over ice into a Collins glass or tall, narrow tumbler. Top with club soda. 
  1. Make the Lemon Twist: Take a potato peeler, sharp paring knife or small channel knife and peel a narrow strip of rind around the lemon crosswise. Place the strip on a flat surface, pith side up, and roll away from you in tight coils—as if rolling a rug. Uncoil and use in your cocktail as a garnish 

ProTip: Use the edge of a teaspoon to peel ginger. Hold the spoon with cup facing toward you and use the edge to scrape away the skin. The shape of the spoon allows you to get into ginger’s knobby nooks and crannies without losing too much of the flesh itself.

Focus On The Porretta Family: Drawing Strength from Memory

by Claire Menard

Along with everyone, our daily routine has disappeared. We are building new routines together and making efforts to stay connected to our work and school networks for community and mutual support. 

In our busy world, with all of the pressures we experience daily, we have found, as a family, despite the seriousness of this moment, solace and comfort in not having any reason to run off but to simply be together. Family stories of surviving the war in Europe (WWII) have always communicated a sense of what is important. We draw strength from these memories and connections. 

We deeply appreciate what the town has done in communicating in a timely way with us as much useful and important information as possible. We have felt the effort and dedication to continuing this flow of information and have come to rely on it as a guide for our life here in Westport. 

Conversely, in the face of our 24-hour media coverage the disparate messages can feel enervating and even disappointing. As in times without a crisis like this, the way the larger national “community” is portrayed in the media can feel like a thousand fissures. Yet we have seen much deeper connection and care represented on social media, where people are posting their experiences, wishes, hopes and appreciation for those in the community and healthcare that are fighting so hard to respond to this crisis.

…people are posting their experiences, wishes, hopes and appreciation for those in the community and healthcare that are fighting so hard to respond to this crisis.

We appreciate how care and concern can grow in a moment like this. We appreciate the work and effort many are making behind the scenes to extend support to others. We feel it is our responsibility to understand that our actions, now, matter for future generations. To not miss this opportunity. To make certain they don’t suffer in this same way. To prepare. To become better and give that to the future.

Explore More of “Westport In Focus”

To read more of the museums long lens oral histories please visit the Westport In Focus page.

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Potato Croquettes

by Claire Menard

This simple dish was called “Potatoe Balls” in the 18th and early 19th centuries and an original recipe for this dish appears in Mary Randolph’s cookery book The Virginia Housewife published in 1824. These croquettes are a good way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. While the base recipe is simple, feel free to add spices or herbs to your liking. Nutmeg, imported from the West Indies, was a common ingredient in early American kitchens—even in savory preparations. Minced chives are a good addition as is grated cheese—1/2 cup of grated gruyere or 4 tablespoons soft goat cheese are two choices. 

Ingredients

  • 2 Pounds Russet potatoes 
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 
  • 1 egg yolk and 1 beaten egg 
  • 1 cup or more as needed Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs 
  • 1 cup safflower oil 

Directions

Makes about 18, serves 6 to 8 

  1. Cook the potatoes: Boil the potatoes, with their skin, in a large pot with enough water to cover. Cook until tender—about 20-25 minutes.  
  1. Drain potatoes and cool slightly until easy to handle and peel. Mash well and stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Allow the mixture to cool completely. 
  1. Add the egg yolk to potato mixture and mix well to incorporate.  
  1. Lightly wet your (clean!) hands and roll the mixture into golf-ball sized balls.  
  1. Dip potato balls in the beaten egg, then roll them in bread crumbs to coat. Repeat with all the potato balls and then refrigerate for 15 minutes up to an hour. 
  1. Heat the oil in a large, deep bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Test the oil by dropping a bit of flour into the oil. If it immediately sizzles, then the oil is ready. 
  1. Place the potato balls gently into the hot oil, and fry until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. For a healthier option, place the potato balls on a baking sheet in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  

Focus On The Greely Family: Sending Encouragement to Those on the Front Lines

by Claire Menard

My husband David and I (NAME) are both self-employed. I’m an artist; primarily a printmaker and painter. All of my art shows have been canceled – along with summer plans for a printmaking residency. The Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, where I regularly worked using the printing presses and darkroom, has also closed. After working with the kids schooling during the day, I’m now trying to maintain a home-studio practice in the late afternoons and evenings. David is an economist and has been working the last several months on launching his own company – the future of which is now quite uncertain. So, we will both be looking at how to pivot our work and hopefully find a way forward. 

As an artist, I am used to working alone and having stretches of quiet time to think and create. Having three kids at home 24/7 who are distance-learning through school, means very little time for my work. Even when I manage time in the studio, it is hard to quiet the mind and escape anxiety about what the future looks like in a post-pandemic world. I know that my artwork will change – but in what way remains unclear. I mean, all artwork is influenced by time, place, and events of the day. I will just keep showing up in the studio, doing the work, and trusting the process.  

We are spending loads of time with the kids (Xavier, 14, 8th grade; Nathaniel, 12, 6th grade; Maeve, 8, 3rd grade). In addition to their schoolwork, we’ve worked on family art projects (right now we are painting rocks to hide around town), lots of games (favorites seem to be Apples to Apples, Kids Against Humanity, Exploding Kittens, and my oldest has created a new Dungeons and Dragons campaign for us to do as a family – I am now a Sorcerer named Hazel Mylove). The kids are all trying something new, but each week this seems to change. This week our youngest is learning to code via Khan Academy, our 6th grader is learning to cook with online Gordon Ramsey videos through Masterclass, and our 8th grader is fiddling around with music on a keyboard. I’m also spending an inordinate amount of time in the backyard with my daughter’s flock of chickens. It’s easy to escape the daily stream of bad news while watching chickens be chickens.  

Westport has been incredibly quick-acting and responsive to this crisis. I am immensely grateful for the daily town communications via emails and texts. Truly admirable as well are the school district’s administrators and teachers who have been trying to provide our kids with a sense of community and stability in learning during enormous upheaval. 

I fervently hope that we, as a collective humanity, start to truly view ourselves as part of an intricately entwined global community. This virus has infected nearly every country in the world within the span of a single season, regardless of borders. Countries are needing to partner with one another, share information and data freely in order to learn how best to prevent and treat infections. In our country we have been so divided, and remain divided across different states and across our physical borders. After this plays out, and the tragedy and loss of life is largely in the past, I hope that there is a renewed sense that we have all been in this together. We are sending healthy thoughts to friends who are sick, and strong encouragement to those who are in the hospitals fighting on the front lines. Be well, be strong, all.

I fervently hope that we, as a collective humanity, start to truly view ourselves as part of an intricately entwined global community.

Explore More of “Westport In Focus”

To read more of the museums long lens oral histories please visit the Westport In Focus page.

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